Users of wireless communication devices communicate telephonically over a wireless system at virtually any location. A portable wireless communication device transmits a low wattage, radio frequency signal to a receiving apparatus. An example of a wireless communication device is a portable radiotelephone that communicates with a base station, which may be connected with conventional landline systems, such as a Public Telephone Service Network.
Portable radiotelephones having two housings joined along an axis by a hinge that allows the housings to fold upon one another are known in the art. Some known folding radiotelephones have most of the electronics in one housing, called the body. The other housing, called the cover, normally contains fewer electronic components than the body. In a closed position, the cover is folded upon the body. In an open position, the cover is at an obtuse angle to the body.
One type of known folding radiotelephones utilizes a hinge having a torsional spring in line with the axis to move the cover from the closed position to the open position. To secure the cover to the body and resist the force of the torsional spring, the radiotelephone necessarily has a latch distal from the axis of rotation to lock the cover to the body. Also, to counteract the force of the torsional spring, a stop element, which is independent of the latch, is necessary to hold the cover in the open position. In this type of portable radiotelephone, the user is required to activate the latch, e.g., by using one hand to press a button, to release the cover so that the torsional spring can rotate the cover to the open position. The user must use the latch to release the cover, or else the latch will be broken when the user uses two hands to manually force the cover from the closed position.
Another type of known folding radiotelephones utilizes a hinge having a spring and hinge pins disposed in a tubular hinge arm formed at an end of the cover, and bushings formed in the body. The spring is positioned between the hinge pins and at all times outwardly forces the hinge pins from the cover to the body, along the rotating axis. In this type of folding radiotelephones the hinge mechanism urges the cover to remain in the closed position without the use of a latch. Accordingly, this hinge mechanism does not have the disadvantages associated with a latch. To release the cover from the closed position, however, rather than using one hand to press a button to release the cover from the closed position, the user must manually overcome the spring force holding the cover in the closed position. This usually requires the user's two hands. An example of such known radiotelephones is described in PCT Publication No. WO 93/18592, published September 16.
Although suitable for some foldable radiotelephones, such known hinges are not suitable for all users of foldable radiotelephones or wireless communication devices. In the types of foldable radiotelephones that can be opened with one hand using the button-actuated latch, the radiotelephone does not have the advantages that an axially spring-loaded hinge provides, e.g., eliminating the problems associated with a latch. Further, with the increased miniaturization of radiotelephones there is less space on the housing to accommodate a latch distal the axis of rotation. Accordingly, none of the known foldable communication devices have the combination of the convenience of a button-actuated latch to release the cover, the user option to use the button-actuated latch to release the cover or manually open the cover, and a compact design.
A need therefore exists for wireless communication devices that can easily be opened by a release mechanism, but does not have the disadvantages associated with a conventional latch.